There’s no two ways about it; the Ontario government’s decision to cancel a controversial Mississauga power plant last fall in the middle of a provincial election campaign fails the smell test.Certainly it stinks because Ontario taxpayers are on the hook for the $190-million cost. It’s no consolation that electricity ratepayers won’t pay through their hydro bills, but taxpayers will. The same wallets shrink.But it should be no less irksome that the cancellation has political undertones. There’s little doubt it helped four Liberal candidates in Mississauga and Etobicoke win their seats in the Oct. 6 election.And as Ontario voters know, Premier Dalton McGuinty needed every seat he could get last fall — falling one MPP short of a majority government.What’s also known is that Etobicoke and Mississauga residents strongly opposed the power plant, named Greenfield South, to be located just northwest of Sherway Gardens. Instead it’s going to the Sarnia area.But should our governments be making multimillion-dollar decisions based on political strategy? And in the middle of an election campaign?Dwight Duncan, Ontario’s finance minister, has said the power plant decision was made by the government — not the Liberal campaign.That doesn’t wash, however, since the same person — McGuinty — ran both shows at the time. Duncan noted the decision to cancel the power plant was made by the premier.And McGuinty has accepted this responsibility, also saying he made it as head of the Ontario government.But what he hasn’t explained is the timing, or does he expect Ontarians to believe it was just coincidental?It’s worth noting that this $190-million decision was made by a government that’s now struggling to control a $15-billion deficit.McGuinty and company are fighting with Ontario doctors, teachers and just about every other group of public employees unhappy with provincial cutbacks.Yet there’s $190 million to relocate a power plant.There was also concern this week when the total cost was increased by $10 million, a payment to stop construction (the total costs is still $190 million).New Democrats have asked Ontario Auditor General Jim McCarter to investigate.The NDP also noted that Eastern Power, a Greenfield South affiliate, had contributed money to the Liberals in recent years.Tory leader Tim Hudak, no doubt prompted by Watergate’s 40th anniversary, wondered if the $10 million wasn’t hush money.He also said something about the original $180 million only being the tip of the iceberg, but didn’t elaborate.What Hudak might have said is that it’s no wonder any government which appears to be so fiscally cavalier with $190 million is $15 billion in the hole.It also undermines the Liberal argument that it doesn’t have the money to afford raises for civil servants, or not to cut the costs of some medical procedures, or freeze the pay grid for Ontario teachers.McGuinty and the Liberals face a tough enough task convincing residents of this province that their austerity measures are necessary, that money is tight, and that it will take a few years to balance the budget without spending $190 million — arguably just to help four MPPs win their seats last fall.It’s been said that political parties will do what’s necessary to get elected, then to stay elected.But it looks like the Liberals went too far this time, and the smell won’t go away.
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Carefully note (as highlighted in red in Bruton's above story, dated July 18, 2012) that Dwight Duncan had said that it was "the government" - NOT THE LIBERAL CAMPAIGN - which decided to cancel the Mississauga gas plant, in the middle of the election! (Duncan also had made the same claim in the Jul.16, 2012 Toronto Star, saying that it was the government, not the Liberal Party, which decided to cancel the gas plant back on Sept.24, 2011.)

Note also, that just about a week or so ago, on a Newstalk Toronto 1010 interview with Liberal campaign chair Greg Sorbara, that Sorbara was also glibly spreading that same line, sticking to the story that the cancellation had nothing to do with the Liberal Party or the provincial election; that it was simply a government decision!
Sorbara at that time was acting as clean-up man for Chris Bentley, who had several days earlier said (and then immediately recanted!) that the cancellation was NOT made by "the government", but, BY THE ONTARIO LIBERAL PARTY, as an election ploy! (as reported by the Toronto Star on July 11, 2012)
By the beginning of August 2012, Sorbara resigned as MPP - but, he still continued on as Liberal campaign chair!! Sorbara will always be remembered for bringing in Liar McGuinty's despised Ontario Liberal Health Tax.

Which all brings us to today, around noon, July 19, 2012 - and the Liberal's story changed yet again (even since Bruton's story appeared yesterday): now Dwight Duncan has finally admitted that the cancellation of the Mississauga gas plant was NOT a "government decision" after all, but a crass political campaign decision made BY THE ONTARIO LIBERAL PARTY!!! (as Bentley had indeed earlier first honestly acknowledged, before changing his original story into a lie!)

Unbelievable!!

What Liberal scumbags!! What liars!! So, now the Liberal campaign team controls Ontario's energy policy?! What a fraud.

Dalton McGuinty should resign, and McGuinty's entire Liberal cabinet deserves jail time for this systemic, deliberate fraud. The Liberal Party of Ontario should be forced to pay back to Ontario`s taxpayers every penny which they deceptively pilfered from the public purse, in their pathetic ploy to politically benefit themselves.

Precious, isn't it?
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[It was not until Feb.8, 2013, that McGuinty's two-faced Liberal energy minister Chris Bentley finally announced he also was going to resign from politics within the week, on Feb.14, 2013!
A day earlier, on Feb.7, 2013, the two-faced finance minister Dwight Duncan announced that he was going to resign Feb.14, 2013... and, on the same day, Feb.7, 2013, Rick Bartolucci (the bungling creator of McGuinty's infamous secret G20 law) also announced he was resigning his post, effective Feb.12, 2013!!!]
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2 comments:

Dalton McGuinty took my hint (!) and announced his resignation on Oct.15, 2012. About time this scandal-plagued Liberal liar beat it. But just to spite Ontarians, Dalton the douche also prorogued the legislature.